A Flower Blooms at Midnight
Akumu was quietly sitting on the far side of the guild hall, leaning heavily on the arm of the small chair as she did so. Her attire was slightly different than normal, Itari having convinced her to wear a black skirt, a white shirt, and she had added a baggy cream-colored sweater on top. As a result of her skirt, she couldn't bring her legs up onto the chair, since it would ride up her thighs too far, so a scowl adorned her features-- not like it wasn't normal for her anyway. Her red glasses were perched high on her nose, her dark eyes were cast at nothing in particular across the room. Izar stood at the door to the guild hall, rose in hand. He pulled off the hood of his crème colored cloak to reveal his just above shoulder length purple hair. He looked down at the blood red rose and smiled softly. " I wonder how she'll reject me this time?." He thought before letting out a quiet sigh. He entered the guild hall and began scanning the area for Akumu. He spotted her on the far side of the guild hall, where She seemed to be staring into space. Izar felt his heart race quicken a bit. "Sixth times the charm." He thought before beginning to walk over to her. Akumu was quickly alerted to Izar's presence, his vibrant purple hair difficult to miss, the crimson rose even more so, as she'd remembered from all of his previous attempts to gain her approval of a date. Letting out a sigh that was much too audible to be warranted, she shifted up in her chair, first readjusting her glasses before directing her gaze fully onto him. "Let me guess," She starts, fake enthusiasm filling her voice. "You want me to go on a romantic candle lit dinner with you? I think you and I both know the answer to that. However, I do want to the hear the sales pitch before I fully decline, so perhaps if I heard it from you for the... what is it, fifth? sixth time?... I would change my mind." Her eyes gleam with a dark glint, her tone conveying she hadn't truly meant she would change her mind. However, the girl was true to her word, and kept an open mind, just in case he offered something she couldn't refuse. Izar avoided the gaze of the judgmental woman for a moment before rebounding, smiling happily despite her scowl. "Yes, long time no see. You're looking quite divine, as per usual." Izar said with an awkward laugh. He paused for moment, her stare making it hard for him to find his words, before holding out the rose to her and speaking. " I know by now that this is nearly pointless. You have no intention of allowing me the time of day." Izar said. " You may be wondering why I keep asking then?. What is the point in coming to you every time I return here. The truth is that even though I know that I will get rejected, my offer declined. I still enjoy the time I spend talking with you." Izar said as he looked directly into her eyes. " Will you allow me to take you on a date tonight?. A candlelit dinner in the grassy field behind the guild hall." Izar asked. Akumu was so ready to shake her head to and fro. Five times she had done it, becoming less blunt and more sarcastic with each one, but it was nonetheless a no. However, something had struck a chord with her this time. Perhaps it had been his blunt honesty, which Akumu appreciated more than anything. Delirious lies had to be one of the things she hated most, right up there with nicknames and senseless insults. She leaned back in her chair slightly, taking the rose and twirling it between her fingers, her ruthless gaze trailing off of him and onto the rose. "Alright, you have me convinced. However, I'm showing up in pants, no exceptions. And if you even think of even whispering about this and somebody finds out, especially Itari, I will have your head mounted in my living room before you can even say 'I'm sorry," got it?" She asked, fixating her gaze on him once again. If possible, it had become even more harsh, and the rose was pinched between her fingers tighter. "I'll be putting this in a vase," She said, standing up and moving past Izar towards the exit. Before she could get beyond a few feet, she turned back towards him. "Also, what time shall I be meeting you?" Izar was genuinely surprised, he had been so ready to hang his head in shame for the sixth time in a row but she had said yes. Even if that yes came along with the threat of decapitation. His smile widened into a foolish looking grin, he quickly composed himself as he turned to face Akumu. "Yes, of course. I won't tell anyone. How does nine sound?, and is there anything special you'd like me to cook?." Izar asked, his confidence slowly returning. A small, barely there smile sneaks onto Akumu's face at Izar's dopey looking one. "Nine is excellent. And anything is fine so long as its edible and doesn't taste like the sugar plum fairy lives in your pots and pans." She then turns and walks towards her room. After she enters, she prepares a vase, slipping the flower in, and then heads over to her closet, picking out something that didn't look like she'd had it for several years, which was difficult for someone who didn't care what she wore. After finding a pair of jeans that weren't faded and a black button up shirt with small shiny gold buttons, she set it aside, waiting for the date time to roll around before she would put them on. She exchanged her skirt for sweat pants, not caring if her brother called her a "fashion disaster" and returned to her previous spot in the guild, tucking her legs beneath herself as she sat in the chair. She had brought a book with her, something she'd read more than a dozen times in the last month alone. She picked a random page and began to read it, using it as a way to kill time until she needed to get ready. When it was approximately half past eight, Akumu headed back towards her room and changed into her chosen outfit. Her dark hair was brushed through thoroughly, and she left it down. She went directly to the small field behind the guild hall to avoid curious gazes at her apparel and hairstyle and the questions that were sure to follow. She walked around in the fresh night, the remaining fifteen minutes dwindling away. She kept her gaze away from the central part of the clearing to keep it a relative surprise, just allowing herself a relaxing walk beforehand. Izar made his way to the market, knowing there was no way he'd have anything he'd be capable of making a romantic dinner out of in his barely used home. He picked out several things before getting home less than a quarter past five. He got everything sat up as he began cooking. Izar worked tirelessly, knowing he would get no second chance if he messed up. He prepared a meal of Roasted chicken with Asiago polenta topped with truffled mushrooms with a side of garden salad, and for dessert, cheesecake topped with strawberry sauce. He knew that all those years of cooking for himself would pay off eventually. After picking out an outfit consisting of a white button up and dress pants he hadn't worn in years, Izar went to work, he snuck a table and two chairs behind the guild. He was very careful not to be seen, he didn't want to be asked any questions that may lead to his demise. Izar had gotten everything on the table just as the last bit of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon. He held up his hand using his cosmic magic to create in his palm, five small, baseball sized stars that he spread out around the table. He placed the final star just above the table. Standing back he admired his work. "If this doesn't win her over, nothing would." Izar thought to himself. He checked his watch, he still had about twenty minutes remaining. He stood, waiting anxiously. When ten minutes remained, Akumu turned back, and began heading towards the center of the small clearing, expecting to find something over the top and extravagant that she would have no problem turning down. However, the dinner that had been prepared was simple enough to look real and edible, yet decorative enough to attract her attention. The miniature stars added enough light to illuminate the space, but not overwhelm her eyes, and didn't give off any scent that would make it difficult to eat her food. She stepped up a few feet in front of Izar, and looked over the man who had prepared the elegant dinner, nodding her head to his clothing choice. "I am quite impressed," She says voice sincere and a small, but pleasant smile adorning her features. "Can you keep up this atmosphere?" She asks, almost as if challenging him, her green eyes glowing in the pale light. Izar smiled softly. During his preparation of their dinner he had decided that he wouldn't get his hopes up. He had sat a single goal for this evening, to make her smile. Izar's confidence was through the roof, having completed the only goal he had sat within seconds of their date. He wasn't stupid though, he knew he was still walking on a very thin tightrope. "I'm glad this is to your liking. You should smile more often, it suits you." He said motioning for her to take a seat as pulled out the chair for her. "For dinner tonight I have prepared roasted chicken asiago topped with truffled mushrooms and a side of garden salad featuring lettuce, cucumber, thinly sliced carrots, and cherry tomatoes. For dessert we will be having cheesecake topped with strawberry sauce." Akumu's smile dropped at his compliment, turning into a scowl though it was half-hearted. "I think silence suits you best," She deadpans, taking the offered chair. While he was explaining the food, she realized how hungry she had become, having forgone food except for a few snacks while she was waiting. Luckily, no sounds gurgled from her stomach to alert Izar of her dilemma, and she kept her features smooth and relaxed so as not to give herself away. "You have a surprising amount of knowledge about food. I figured since you were gone all the time you wouldn't even bother with learning." She says plainly. After Izar had finished and moved to his own chair, Akumu picked up her utensils and began slicing it into bite sized pieces. Knowing full well Izar was waiting on the edge of his seat for her to take a bite, she calmly cut up her food until all of it was in pieces, then finally took a bite. After chewing it exactly 30 times for more dramatic pause, she looked up at Izar with a perfectly neutral facial expression. "It tastes just as good as it looks, if not, more so." She says, unable to keep the slightly smug smile off of her face. She began to eat at a normal pace after that. "So Izar, what made you decide that I, specifically, were the girl you needed to pursue so persistently? Surely you've met plenty of more mature and kind women than me while out traveling?" Izar's face became serious. " I have always been very good at reading people, it's a good skill to have. Of course I've encountered many women on my travels. Each unique in their own way, however, in the end they were ultimately the same. All of them thinking and acting similarly. After all, that's how most people are. Not just women, men too. They're all the same, however, I found that when I first laid my eyes onto you. I couldn't read you, you were a book whose contents remained heavily under the guard of lock and key. " He said, his smile returning. " I wanted to get to know you, the you that lied hidden behind the beauty that bound that book together." Izar said. "and I'd like to thank you for giving me that opportunity tonight." Akumu stiffened slightly at Izar's speech, stilling her hand as it carried a fork laden with fresh salad. "Don't you think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself?" She asks, a one-way mirror seemingly appearing between them, allowing Akumu to clearly see her table mate but obscuring Izar's sight. "I'm allowing you to read the back of the book, a simple insight." She reiterates, leaning back in her chair and setting her fork down on her plate. "Perhaps we can lead the subject elsewhere?" She asks, a sigh escaping her lips as she does. Maybe she'd been a bit too harsh, but even the implication of sharing any of her past life with a near stranger was absolutely horrible, even if he had been so gentlemanly up until this point. Izar had screwed up and he knew it. He averted his eyes from hers, he couldn't bear the sight of his reflection in them. "You're right, I'm sorry." He said picking at his food with his fork but eating nothing. He quickly searched for a topic he felt she would be more comfortable discussing. "You must be thirsty. Perhaps you'd like a drink?." Izar said picking up the wine bottle that sat near the edge of the table. He smiled despite his near tumble from the tightrope he walked. "This stuff is nearly as old as I am, a farmer who owned a winery gave it to me after I helped him out with a few things. He said I should save it for a special occasion. I figured, what occasion would be more special that a date with the most beautiful woman in all of Earthland?." Izar said with a wink. Akumu readjusted in her seat again, picking through her food for a moment before once again finding her appetite and taking a bite. At the offer of a drink, she simply nods, watching as Izar pours the deep red-purple drink into her cup. She doesn't reach for it until a moment after he's finished speaking. "Brave words for a man on thin ice," She observed aloud, taking a sip of the beverage. "Though, there is no reward without risk," She adds as she sets her glass down. A smile is once again adorning her features, the pale light of the stars reflecting off of her face giving her a near ethereal glow. Izar said nothing, simply enjoying the sight before him. He didn't want to ruin the moment but he knew she would probably get the wrong idea if he stared too long without speaking. "It's true. I have travelled far and wide but never once have I seen a woman whose beauty holds a candle to your own." He said before sipping his own beverage. He wiped his mouth with a napkin as he shifted to sit more upright in his chair. "I've noticed you reading before, is it a hobby of yours?." He asked, leaning forward just slightly to show that she had his fully undivided attention. Akumu's eyebrow quirked up at that. "Maybe I ought to go to Sorcerer's Magazine and request to be a model then? Of course, that would mean I would have to dress in clothes they chose, which would most likely end up with bikinis and pin-up shots," Akumu says, trying to keep her voice neutral so she could get a true reaction from Izar, though it ended up being slightly repulsed. This was possibly not one of Akumu's proudest moments, using Izar's crush and possible perverseness against him to determine how worthy he was of her company. Of course, if this ended the date, whether it be from Izar becoming disgusted with her, or Akumu becoming disgusted with him, it didn't matter to her, being that she had been reluctant to even accept his offer. It would be unfair to say she wasn't enjoying herself, but she didn't want to get her hopes up if he turned out to be someone she couldn't stand being around. At his question, she nodded, taking a moment to consider how to verbally respond. "I suppose reading has been a hobby of mine for a while. It's a solitary act that gives me the illusion of being social. I can immerse myself into a world that isn't mine and escape reality. Depending on the genre, I can also learn quite a bit about varying opinions, or just general facts about the world." She stated, sounding somewhat lost in her thoughts, as though they were continuing even as she was speaking. Izar waved her off. " Please don't compare yourself to those fakes. Those women who spend hours painting a mask of make-up over their faces only to flaunt around nearly nude in front of the camera. That is not beauty, that is a lie, a delusional one. I tend to avoid those types of magazines, they're only there for the mindless to waste their time gawking over. You see, I think you misunderstand what I mean when I use the word beauty, that is my fault entirely and I am sorry for that. Women are much more than a pretty face, more than their...assets. A woman is also the way that she carries herself. You stand with your head held high, radiating confidence, strength, and independence. Your beauty is natural, no need to dress in revealing clothing, no need to cake your face with make up to feel and look pretty. No, Akumu is Akumu and Akumu is very beautiful." Izar listened to her speak about her hobby. It was the first time that he had heard her speak with some sort of passion. He smiled as she spoke, her views were indeed interesting. He waited until she was finished talking. "Through books we live a thousand lives," Izar said, happy to have had her open up about something. "A good friend once told me that, a very long time ago. I like to travel for the opposite reason. You see, it's something I can do alone without feeling the need to be social. It allows me to be alone with my thoughts, letting me face reality." Izar said. A look of surprise crossed Akumu's face at Izar's impassioned response, but nonetheless, she was pleased. She'd never been complimented in such a way before, with someone going to such great lengths just to prove a point. In a negative setting, confidence, strength, and independence would've been twisted into defiance and self-centeredness. Never in her life could she have imagined somebody would pass up models in the best magazine's for herself. Try as she might, her look of surprise was replaced by a gleaming smile, one she couldn't hide. "Thank you," she said earnestly, somehow wanting to convey more in those two words than possible. Instead, she just scooted forward in her seat some, as though being closer to him would keep those kind words there. As Izar began speaking about her and his hobby, Akumu found herself wanting to know more about him. What sort of reality did he have to face to the point that he needed to be completely alone? What could have possibly happened that he would need solitude? What could have possibly made him decide that the most antisocial woman in the guild was the proper choice for a date? She allowed her questions to be pushed away for another time, knowing it unfair to pry into his life if she barely divulged any of hers. However, she wasn't going to just allow the dinner to remain silent. "Have you ever visited the same place twice?" She asks. Izar's face became beat red at the appearance of Akumu's smile, her thank you serving to melt his heart. He tilted his head downward in an attempt to hide his blush but didn't take his eyes off of her in fear that doing so would ruin the moment. "There are a few places I visit every now and again whenever I need information on a job but if I'm ever traveling just to travel I try not to go through the same place twice within a certain amount of time. Though, I do believe it's important to revisit certain spots. It's hard to completely absorb the experience by just passing by, you understand?." He explained. "Have you ever traveled?." He asked. Akumu chuckled softly at Izar's response, picking up her wine glass and twirling the liquid inside with leisure. As she listened to him, she sipped from the cup every so often, making careful note not to miss any of his words. At his question, she nodded. "It's a lot like reading a book. You read it once and get the entire story as a whole. Read it a second, third, fourth time, and you understand each individual part and every character within it." She stated, setting her cup back on the table. "I traveled a bit before I joined Koma Inu. Itari and I traveled together, just doing whatever we wanted. We didn't have an excess of money, so we just went city to city, but it was enjoyable enough." She reminisces, looking thoughtfully at the half empty glass on the table. Clearing her throat, she flicks her gaze back up to Izar. "Do you enjoy reading? Or do you prefer doing other things with your downtime?" Izar listened carefully making note of what she had said, happy that she was beginning to open up a bit. He smiled leaning in just a bit more, careful not to cross the imaginary line between them. " I enjoy reading from time to time but if I am to be honest, I prefer to write. Not whole books or anything of that sort, more like a journal where I write about things I find important in my life and during my travels." He said requipping a small leather bound journal no thicker than about three hundred pages. Akumu watches as Izar summons the book, recognizing the flash of light and magic circle as nothing other than requip. She studies the leather book, then glances up to Izar. "Would you mind?" She asks, pointing to the book. If she was honest, she didn't know why she wanted to look at his journal, but she passed off as wanting to see where he had visited. Worst he could say was no, and it wasn't like Akumu wasn't used to being denied, so she would survive. Izar nodded before handing her the book "Sure, it's my most recent one so there's not much in it yet. I was actually planning to write about tonight when I found the time, would you okay with that?" Akumu carefully picked up the book, flipping onto the first page and began skimming his work. It was eloquently written, and his penmanship was smooth and refined. At his question, she shrugs. "So long as it stays in this book and your head," She states, flipping through the next few pages before passing it back to him. "How long have you been writing? Your penmanship is impeccable," She compliments. Izar's smile widened a bit at her compliment, feeling that her words were genuine. His blush that had begun to die down found new life, he made no attempt to hide it this time. "Thank you, and it will, You have my word. I started keeping a journal nearly two hundred and fifty years ago I believe. Yes, somewhere around there. A good friend of mine, Thomas, suggested I start keeping log of my journeys." He explained. Akumu looked completely bewildered when he mentioned that he'd started keeping a journal no less than two hundred and fifty years ago. Unsure on how to respond to that in a way that wasn't harsh or belittling, she decided to remain quiet, averting Izar's gaze and turning it to her near-empty plate. "Two hundred and fifty years," She repeats quietly, feeling much smaller and insignificant than she had a moment before. Izar's smile faded. He'd done something wrong again, things had been going so well and he had screwed it up. "I'm such an idiot." he thought before noticing her eyes staring down at her nearly empty plate "Perhaps you'd like some dessert?" he asked, knowing that he already had three strikes against him and that if she were to walk away now, no one would blame her, not even himself. Akumu shook her head slowly. "Izar, what... what do you mean two hundred and fifty years? I've never... I can't even fathom..." She stutters, voice soft and slow. "How can someone live that long?" She asks, still keeping her gaze away from Izar. "I cannot die..." he said shamefully. "It's the curse I've beard for nearly four hundred years now. I honestly thought you knew, I make no attempts at hiding it, that'd be pointless." He explained. "I am cursed to watch everyone I care about grow old and die while I stay exactly the same. Mamma Moonshine, Thomas, Marie..." He said his eyes becoming glassy. He blinked away his tears "I'm not some monster though, I'm still human in every other way. I eat, I breath, I bleed just like you. The only difference is that when I die, I wake up" He said. Akumu glanced back up at Izar, watching as his eyes went glassy with tears he refused to shed. "Izar," She started, voice dismal. "How am I supposed- What am I supposed to do? I may live longer than normal people, but I still wither and eventually I'll die. I can't live just to be forgotten when you meet somebody else who can just as easily be who I am." She said, her voice becoming louder and more angered as she continued. Her face grew hot with anger and embarrassment and having not known what she was getting into beforehand. How idiotic of her to think anybody could ever truly want to be by her side for the rest of their life. She was the next filler, somebody who would no doubt be replaced as soon as she became useless. Still, her eyes remained dry, not daring to show any emotion other than anger to this man before her. Izar listened to her angered voice, not daring to look at her, knowing that he would not be able to simply blink away his tears if he did. " It's not that simple, Akumu. You act like I've spent the past four hundred years pimping my way around the world. I spent the majority of those four hundred years in complete and utter solitude. Do you have any idea what that's like?." Izar asked, his voice shaky. " Asking you out that first time, it was the first time I'd been willing to allow another human being into my heart since my brother was killed nearly forty years before this curse was placed upon me." Izar said, his hands visibly shaking as he held onto his wine glass. "I never meant to make you feel insignificant, in fact, I've spent the better majority of this evening doing everything in my power to make you feel the exact opposite." Akumu's fury only grew. "You think I've been living it up my whole life?" She shouts indignantly, knocking over her own glass as her hands flew up. In her blind rage, however, she didn't even notice. "Do you know what it's like to be completely ignored by your mother when your father smacks you for forgetting to do your homework for one night? Or perhaps you might understand the pain I felt when my mother left because she could no longer stand the abuse from her husband? Or better yet, when I had to explain how piss poor my life has been since birth to my twin brother because I've been protecting him his whole life? And I had to watch as tears fell down his face that I've wanted to shed for years, but I held back because I know it would hurt him more than anything else! I may not have endured more than four centuries of solitude and pain, but I've had more than my fair share and you can't expect me to feel pity on you because of it!" The chair tips over when she stands up, slamming her hands on the table. The tableware bounced, causing a dull ping to resound. Tears now stained her cheeks, gleaming under the starlight like silver rivers. "I'm so scared," She said, voice now weak and quivering. "I have nothing to gain and everything to lose and I am so afraid." She continues, her shoulders sagging and her head dropping so she was now facing the table. Izar's heart shattered, had he not asked her out tonight, had he never came to this place, had he never joined Koma Inu, had he just died all those years ago, this wouldn't be happening right now. He couldn't hold back his tears any longer as they began to flow down his cheeks If had just died like he was supposed to, like he tired to do so many times, he wouldn't be watching the woman he loved crying her heart out. She would be at home, possibly cuddled up to a good book, never knowing he ever even existed. Everything was his fault, it always was. He didn't know what to do. He stood up and walked over to Akumu and hugged her, knowing that the worst thing she could do was kill him where he stood and if that was what she felt she needed to do, he wouldn't stop her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Akumu." He said weakly through his tears. Akumu shuddered in Izar's grasp, and although she didn't replicate the hug, she didn't push him away either. "It's so unfair," She muttered weakly, her forehead resting in the crook of his neck. "Why can't we just be normal couple on a date?" She asks as though it's a question that had always been on her mind. "Well I suppose I can answer that myself, since I only agreed to it if I could kill you if anybody found out. Of all the people who could've tried to win my affections and partially succeed, it had to be an immortal. God, I can't even tell if this is pathetic or amazing," her voice reverberates along his collarbone as she speaks, and her breaths slowly become calm and even again, her tears stopping as well. Izar remained silent for a moment, letting himself calm down as best he could as the last few tears trailed down his checks. "I don't know," he said referring to her not knowing how to feel. Taking a deep breath Izar began to speak "I love you, Akumu, and whether it's ten years from now or ten thousand. My feelings won't change, you won't be forgotten, but I don't want to think about that right now. I want to be here, with you, in this moment. I want you to be happy" Izar said. Akumu sighed heavily, a small shudder escaping her. "I can do that." She starts, letting out another long and slightly wavering breath to help calm her senses. "I can be right here, right now, in this moment," She continues, as though trying to reassure herself. "I don't know if I love you," She starts, rising off of Izar's shoulder so she can look him in the eye. "I don't know if I ever will. I can't promise you anything either. The only thing I can give you is this moment, right now. And in this moment, the only thing I will confess to is that I sincerely don't want to be alone right now." She says, never taking her eyes away from Izar for a single moment. Izar nodded "It's okay, you're not alone" he said as he stared deeply into her eyes. He had no idea how long this "moment" would last, but regardless, he was happy to be here with her. "If a tree falls in a forest, and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Akumu asks, allowing a small lapse before she continues. "It still does make a sound, just nobody knows about it, right? So if I were to do something, and nobody saw, not even you or I, then that means no one truly knows about it, right?" She asks, each word hardly distinguishable from the next in her haste to get it all out. Izar didn't understand what exactly she was getting at. "I suppose that's true." He said hesitantly, unsure of what it was she meant to do. Akumu took a deep breath in, then exhaled it slowly. "Okay," She said softly, raising her hands and making a small square with her index and middle fingers, her eyes glowing red. A purple magic circle appeared, and then the surrounding area was cast into a total darkness, where even Akumu couldn't see. Hoping her memory served true, she leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Izar's lips. She stepped back, and then the lights came to life again. She stayed silent after that, just watching Izar, waiting for a reaction. Izar was surprised when he found himself surrounded by total darkness, even more so when he felt the warmth of Akumu's lips touch his own for only a moment. When the light returned to his eyes she stood a foot away from him. Izar must have looked completely dumbfounded for a moment. Then, remembering her words, smiled softly. "Akumu...I...I don't know what to say." Akumu shook her head. "Then don't say anything. Remember, we both agreed that if nobody saw it, then that means nobody truly knows about it." She says. After another moment passes, she looks at the abandoned dinner table. "Does the offer for dessert still stand?" She asks, picking her chair back up off the ground. Her wine glass was now empty, the contents now staining the tablecloth. She stared at it blankly, trying to remember when it had been knocked down in the first place. Not finding an answer in her memory, she just places it upright again, looking back over to Izar. Izar nodded. "Nobody knows huh?. I guess that means I won't be able to write about it in my journal" He thought with a internal sigh. When Akumu asked about dessert he nodded "Always" he said walking over to the cake which had been spared any damage. He cut the cake, sliding the pieces onto small plates. He placed one in front of her before moving over to his side of the table. He looked down on the ground to see the wine bottle which must have fallen off at some point during their outbursts. The nearly three hundred year old red-purple liquid stained the ground around it. He bent down to pick it up, it still had half a glass worth in it. He turned to his date motioning the bottle toward her "I noticed your glass is empty, would you like some more?." He asked. Akumu took her seat, wiping her fork off with the napkin then taking a small bite of the cheesecake. It was sweet without being overly so, which quickly led Akumu to her second bite. After that, she notices Izar's somewhat crestfallen facial expression and shifts in her seat to see the wine bottle had been knocked onto the ground. "I'm sorry about that, I ought to have better control over my actions." She says, her gaze skittering back onto her plate. At his question, she shakes her head. "I may or may not have done something I might regret later without being influenced by alcohol. I'd rather keep my head as clear as possible so I don't do anything that I can't hide behind a strange philosophy." She says. "Though, maybe a half of a glass wouldn't hurt too much? After all, I can't exactly get lost on my way home," She says, looking to the building no more than thirty feet away. "It's fine, Akumu. Don't worry about it." He said shooting her a reassuring smile as he poured what little was left into her glass. At mention of the kiss they shared Izar's ears perked but he said nothing. Returning to his seat he picked up his fork, "So what do you think?." He asked, feeling it would be wrong to let silence fill the air. Akumu watched as the remainder of the wine was poured into her drink. She could always only drink half of it if she truly felt like she wouldn't be able to handle her alcohol. "I think, besides the loud part, this evening has been quite pleasant. I wouldn't mind spending more time with you though perhaps earlier in the day so hypothetical silent trees and complete darkness can't keep us from properly remembering what transpired." She says. "I also think that you need to teach me how to cook because my culinary skills are pretty much limited to what I can put into a microwave." Izar's smiled widened "I would like that very much" he said. "Yeah, I can teach you to cook if you'd like. I'm not really planning to take on any jobs soon so you can swing by anytime you like." He said, realizing if he was going to do this that'd he'd need to stock his kitchen. "Wait, during the day?. Wouldn't you be afraid of someone seeing you with me?." He asked. Akumu shrugged her shoulders. "There's nothing wrong with two guildmates just hanging out, is there?" She deadpans, making certain to get the point across that Izar would only speak to others about it in that way. "If anything happens that can't be passed off as simple friendly gestures, then nobody else has to know but us since we were the only people involved." She says plainly. "I understand and I won't mention tonight or anything else to anyone, just like I promised, but would you mind if I asked why you don't want other's to know about us?." He asked, mainly out of pure curiosity. "I mean, if you don't want to tell me that's fine, I'm completely happy with the way we're doing things. I'm just curious is all, you know?." Akumu stayed silent for a long time, trying to properly gather a response for his question. "I suppose it's insurance on my emotions. If nobody knows, nobody can ask how I feel and question whether my feelings are true or not. And no one can interfere or guilt me into feeling stuff I don't actually feel." She says, keeping her eyes away from Izar's. "And more than that, it nobody's business what goes on in my personal life." She affirms. Izar feared what her response might be, seeing as how she sat there saying nothing for quite some time but when she had finally spoken, Izar felt guilty for having thought that maybe she was embarrassed to be seen with him. Izar nodded "That's fair enough, I understand." He checked his watch, it was pretty late. "It's getting pretty late, do you want me to walk you home?. I mean, I know it's only like thirty feet away but it's the gentlemanly thing to do, right?" he asked. Akumu looked over at the guild building then back at Izar. "Alright, let's go then," She says, standing up from the dinner table and beginning to walk towards her "house". Izar passed off her eagerness to return home as exhaustion, their night had indeed been eventful and she'd probably said a lot more than she'd said in a long time. He stood up, walking at a quick pace to catch up to her. He slowed as he began to walk at the same pace she did. He thought about trying to hold her hand but decided against it "Just so you know, If you're ever hungry for something other than microwaved food or if you ever just want someone to talk to, I'm here if you need me" he said as they walked, knowing that it was almost time for them to say goodbye for the night. Akumu began walking over to the girl's dormitories, stopping in front of the guild steps. "I would like that," She says with a small smile. "Well, goodnight then," she says, then she turns around and begins walking towards her separate dorm. Category:Mage Category:Blackdagger01 Category:Aaniimee Category:RP